Asd Superintendent Rehiring Opposed

September 06, 1985|by JOHN CLARK, The Morning Call

In a rare move, two Allentown School Board members and three candidates seeking election to the board have issued a one-page statement questioning "the wisdom and morality" of outgoing board members casting the deciding votes on whether district Superintendent William Stoutenburgh should be retained for three more years.

Essentially, the undated statement signed by board members Michael Combs and Alton Frey Jr., and candidates Dr. Willard Clewell Jr., Thomas Ruhe and Norman Ziegler apparently is a last-ditch effort to have the board defer official action on the contract renewal issue until after the November election.

Clewell and Ruhe, both of whom oppose the contract renewal, are almost assured election to the board since they won nominations on both the Democratic and Republican tickets during the spring primary. Ziegler, a Democrat, will have to battle for a seat on the board since he only won the Democratic nomination.

At the heart of the issue is the ongoing controversy regarding the performance of the superintendent. It isan issue that has been raised repeatedly by Frey, a Democrat, and Combs, a Republican, both of whom joined the board in 1983.

Stoutenburgh, whose current salary is $64,000 a year, declined direct comment on the contract issue. "That's a board function," he said, emphasizing that "I'm pleased with Allentown and would be happy to serve if the board wants me to serve. We have many many fine things going on in the district. We have a high quality of teachers and I work with the full board," he said, noting that there are times when he and the board disagrees.

Board President Ronald Skinner said the decision to renew Stoutenburgh's contract was made by an unofficial 6-3 vote taken last week during an executive session. He said the official vote will be taken later this month during the board's regularly scheduled public meeting.

"I plan to vote against the contract renewal," Skinner said, "(but) I intend to work with the superintendent in the future for the betterment of the school district. I feel we will be able to work together even though my best judgment at this time is not to renew the contract. My no vote was a very close decision for me."

Skinner, who joined Frey and Combs in voting against the contract renewal, said he would not discuss his vote until the public meeting.

In part, the statement which was hand-delivered to Stoutenburgh Wednesday evening and distributed to board members yesterday, states:

"During private deliberations, the present Allentown School Board, by a majority opinion, has decided to renew the contract for Dr. Stoutenburgh as superintendent of schools for an additional three years. Most of the school directors who are in support of renewing the contract will not be serving on the school board after the November elections because they have chosen not toseek re-election.

"Therefore, they are committing a new board to a contract with a superintendent that the majority of the new board members do not want for their superintendent. We feel it is grossly unfair to the new board, teachers, parents, students and taxpayers in the Allentown School District for the current board to make this decision, then leave office and commit a new board to a contract with a superintendent who will not have their confidence.

"What justification do these individuals who are leaving office after November have for this decision? Especially in light of the fact that the current board knows the new board does not support a renewed contract for Dr. Stoutenburgh.

"We fully understand the current board has the legal right to renew the contract. However, state law requires only that the board make the decision prior to 150 days before the expiration of the current contract. If the board would delay the decision until the 150-day deadline, the new board members would be in office and the decision to renew would be opposite the current board's decision. We don't question the legality of the current board's decision, we question the wisdom and morality of their action."

The statement concludes, "What will exist after the November election is a lame duck superintendent who will not enjoy the confidence of the school board, and will collect a salary of approximately $200,000 over the life of the three-year contract."

In arguing for deferral of the contract issue, Frey said, "I have had the opportunity to observe the performance of Dr. Stoutenburgh for the past two years and I have come to the conclusion after talking to members of the professional staff and citizens of the community that the present superintendent lacks communication and public relationsskills necessary to function as a successful superintendent of schools."